Kamisu
# Kamisu

Kamisu (神栖市, Kamisu-shi) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 July 2020, the city had an estimated population of 95,384 in 40,759 households and a population density of 649 persons per $km^2.$ The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 23.6%. The total area of the city is 146.97 square kilometres (56.75 sq mi).

## Geography

Kamisu is located in the extreme southeastern portion of Ibaraki Prefecture. The city forms a rough triangle, with Chiba Prefecture on the western side and the Pacific Ocean on the east. The Tone River flows through the city.

### Surrounding municipalities

Ibaraki Prefecture

* Kashima
* Itako

Chiba Prefecture

* Katori
* Chōshi
* Tōnoshō

### Climate

Kamisu has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kamisu is 14.8 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1508 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 25.7 °C, and lowest in January, at around 4.7 °C.

## Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Kamisu has recently plateaued after decades of strong growth.

## History

The village of Kamisu was established within Kashima District by the merger of the villages of Ikisu and Karuno on March 1, 1955. It was elevated to town status on January 1, 1970. The city of Kamisu was established on August 1, 2005, from the merger of the town of Kamisu and the town of Hasaki (also from Kashima District).

## Government

Kamisu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 23 members. Kamisu contributes two members to the Ibaraki Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Ibaraki 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

## Economy

Kamisu has a large industrial base, with many chemical, petrochemical, specialty chemical plants, and refineries. The city is part of the Kashima Rinkai Industrial Zone. The Kashima Power Station is also located in Kamisu.

## Education

Kamisu has 14 public elementary schools and eight public middle schools operated by the city government, and three public high schools operated by the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.

## Transportation

### Railway

* Kamisu is served by the Kashima Rinkai Railway Kashima Rinkō Line, an all-freight railway line. The city does not have any passenger railway service.

### Highway

* National Route 124

### Seaport

* Port of Kashima

## Sister city relations

* – Eureka, California, USA – sister city since 1991

## Local attractions

* Ikisu Jinja
* Gonoike Ryokuchi Park

## Notable people from Kamisu

* Mitsutoshi Furuya, manga artist
* Tsukushi – female professional wrestler
* Naoya Ishigami, professional soccer player
* Keiji Suzuki, judoka and Olympic gold medalist
* Takashi Ono, judoka
* Kazuhiko Hosokawa, professional golfer
* Tomi Okawa, table tennis player
* Takashi Nagatsuka, writer, poet
* Akira Kazami, politician
* Atsushi Koyano, scholar of contemporary literature
